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It's one thing to hire employees with the right experience and
skills, but getting people with the right personalities for your
company can be more challenging. Company culture is hard to
define, and that makes hiring a risky proposition if you don't
know how to snag the right people.

One thing you should do if you want to get a sense of a potential
hire's personality is to bring your own personality to the
interview. "You put people on guard if you ask them to reveal
something about themselves but don't give them anything in
return," says Jonathan Basker, a vice president at Betaworks, a
New York-based company that builds social web companies. He
recommends acting natural and opening up to interviewees about
yourself and your company. And don't try to "gotcha" them with
difficult trick questions. "There should be no power dynamics,"
Basker says. "It should just be a conversation between two
people." More: Hiring Secrets:
Finding a Personality Fit

With influencers, give more than you ask
for.
Influential people -- thought leaders, major authors, successful
business owners -- often find themselves fielding a lot of
requests from people asking for a piece of their limited free
time. If you want to separate yourself from the pack and truly
connect with an influencer, you should find a way to provide
value rather than just asking for help. "Give three things and
ask for one," recommends Steven Babitsky, co-author of The
Street Smart MBA. More: 6 Steps to
Connecting With Influential People

Aim for the moon, but have a timetable.
Former president John F. Kennedy made the goal of putting a man
on the moon seem attainable in part by setting a real-world
timetable for the accomplishment. You should do the same in your
ventures, says Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice
University. "Think about what's big and bold and what your
company can do, and get the word out. And a timeline is hugely
important so it's more than empty promises." More:
Lessons in
Persuasion From the Most Celebrated American
Presidents

Protect your employees' sensitive
information.
The Internal Revenue Service is being defrauded by scammers using
stolen Social Security numbers to file false refund claims.
"Identity theft is a huge epidemic the IRS is facing," says
Russell Fox, the author of Tax Strategies for the Small Business
Owner. To prevent being a mark for scammers, make sure you keep
your employees' Social Security numbers secure. You may even want
to keep them locked in a physical filing cabinet rather than
saving digital copies. More: How to Keep Your Zen
During Tax Season

Listen to your fans and engage them as
individuals.
When telecommunications giant Nokia learned in September 2012
that one of its customers, 32-year-old Aaron Hall, had driven 400
miles to be first in line for the unveiling of the company's new
Lumia 820 and 920 smartphones, the company made Hall the focus of
a blog post. Stay on the lookout for passionate customers like
Hall; they are your biggest brand advocates, says Brad Spikes,
Nokia's head of social media marketing for North America.
More: 3 Ways to Turn
Social Media Followers Into Promoters of Your Brand